US renewable energy project to power 1,800 homes
Republic Services has announced its newest landfill gas-to-energy project located at the Upstate Regional Landfill in Union County, South Carolina. The renewable energy project consists of two reciprocating combustion engines that generate 3,200kW of energy for the local electric grid, or enough electricity to power more than 1,800 area homes.
'Landfills are essential infrastructure in any community, but their value to society goes well beyond disposal,' says Jamey Amick, area president of Republic Services. 'Today's landfill can help to regenerate air, water and land in a local ecosystem, and in many cases it can create a renewable power source from waste decomposition.'
Landfill gas to energy projects typically involve capturing methane which is generated when waste decomposes within a landfill. The methane can be harnessed and converted into renewable energy sources that supply the local power grid. This process can displace the use of fossil fuels for energy generation and use, which can significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a community.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 3MW of energy produced from landfill gas is equivalent to preventing carbon emissions generated by the consumption of 16.6 million gallons of petrol. Based on EPA methodology, the carbon emissions prevented by the Upstate Regional landfill gas project from entering the air is equivalent to the consumption of roughly 900,000 gallons of petrol each year.
Republic Services' subsidiary, Republic Services of South Carolina partnered with Lockhart Bioenergy, an affiliate of Lockhart Power Company and Pacolet Milliken Enterprises, to develop the Upstate Regional landfill gas to energy project. Lockhart Bioenergy will operate the plant, and its output is being purchased by Duke Energy.
Republic Services and its subsidiaries operate 73 landfill gas-to-energy projects nationwide. According to the EPA, the combined environmental benefits from these projects are equal to removing more than four million cars from our roads or planting more than 4.5 million acres of trees per year.
SOURCE: Republic Services
